Every time my credit card is used, my bank sends me the transaction summary text in real-time. I was surprised to get a text that I was charged for an Airbnb reservation, which I clearly did not make. All I have is the reservation/confirmation number in my bank text, along with the transaction amount, date, and time.
I reached out to Airbnb, and I was frustrated with the emails that go back and forth and the Airbnb Support insisted that I am aware of the fraudulent transaction and that it was made by either a friend or a family member. And that they cannot refund me the amount.
With this, my worries and anxiety triggered that my situation is not unique, and there could be others who got the same fraud situation wherein we fall victims to scammers and online criminals that use our credit card information to make reservations with Airbnb and that they do not help resolve it for us. Airbnb appears to be more protective of scammers and online criminals, and I felt that my fraud complaint and situation did not matter as long as they got paid.
I felt terrible, and I am so frustrated that they can use my credit card, and Airbnb is very much willing to take payment from it regardless if it is a fraudulent transaction. I am from Saudi Arabia, and I wanted to pursue this case. Money is not an object anymore. This is clearly a wrong and immoral thing to be kept aside because it will keep happening, and Airbnb seems to harbor and gives a platform to opportunists, scammers, and online criminals.
